


Stolen

by defeatedbyabridge



Category: Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger | Burstosaur Squadron Abaranger
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-03 09:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1739831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defeatedbyabridge/pseuds/defeatedbyabridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While the cat's away...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stolen

Ryouga stopped in front of the door to Dino House. 

It was too quiet inside. He should've been able to hear customers chatting away, Mai-chan laughing, something, anything. He felt rather than heard someone at his side. Ranru-chan, Asuka-san. Both looking as disturbed as he felt.

Ryouga reached out and touched the door. It swung open. Ryouga's jaw dropped open at the same time.

Everything was destroyed. Chairs broken, windows smashed, cutlery and crockery everywhere. Ryouga stepped inside and winced as every footstep made a crunching sound. Something twitched behind the counter. Ryouga spun, every nerve alert, but it was Emiri, crouched over Suke-san. He ran to her side, skidded to his knees, heedless of the broken glass and china on the floor. "Emi-pon! Are you all right? What happened?" 

"Nakadai-sensei," she gulped. "Ryouga. . . Mai-chan. . ."

He got to his feet, a cold fear ripping through him, but then Ranru-chan appeared with Mai-chan in her arms. "She was locked in the bathroom," Ranru-chan explained. "How are they?"

"Not good," Ryouga said, vaguely aware of Asuka-san slipping past him to check Suke-san's vitals. "Mai-chan." He took her from Ranru-chan and held her close, horrified that yet again she'd been forced to witness her family getting hurt, forced to be scared. Terrified. 

He'd promised to always be there for her. To stay with her. But he couldn't even protect their home for her. Her arms went around his neck, her feet around his waist, and she clung to him like her heart was breaking. "Sanjou-san put me in the bathroom and told me to lock the door," she sobbed into his shoulder. "Then I heard them hurt him." 

He barely had time to take this in before he realised just how pale Ranru-chan was. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Yukito's gone, Ryouga." 

He sank to the floor, numb. "Nakadai-sensei took him to hurt us, hurt me. . . If we'd been here. . ." he began bleakly, but couldn't finish it. 

Asuka-san sighed, spreading his hands, a look of utter helplessness on his face. "We had to go and fight, Ryouga-san. We were needed. We'll find him." 

* * *

Asuka-san stayed behind to look after Mai-chan, Emiri and Sugishita, and to start cleaning up. 

Ranru and Ryouga went out searching.

* * *

They found him eventually at the park near Dino House, a crumpled heap at the base of one of the benches where they'd sat so many times, looking out over the grass, talking or just sitting.

Ryouga felt his stomach lurch when he saw the blue blur in the distance. He broke into a run, then skidded to his knees next to Sanjou-san's huddled form. "Sanjou-san!" 

Ranru-chan helped Ryouga turn him over. 

Sanjou-san's face was a mess. Nose bloody, two black eyes, numerous cuts and scrapes. His jacket was torn. 

But he had a pulse, and he was breathing. He opened his eyes once for a few seconds, when Ryouga took his hand, but Ryouga wasn't sure if he was really aware. 

* * *

They got him back to Dino House and cleaned him up. He resolutely refused to go to hospital. 

"I'm all right, Ryouga, don't fuss." 

"You look horrible."

"Thanks." 

Sanjou-san stalked off into the bedroom. Ryouga followed him automatically and shut the door behind them, knowing that while he might tolerate Ryouga's presence, he wouldn't want anyone else there just now. "I'm sorry, Sanjou-san. If I'd been here. . ."

Sanjou-san spun. Too quickly. His eyes rolled back and he staggered, but Ryouga got an arm around his waist in time and helped him sit down on the bed. He shoved Ryouga's arm away irritably. "What? If you'd been here you would've saved me? Because you're the big damn hero who saves everyone?"

Ryouga recoiled, hands up in protest. "No. No, I don't mean that. I just mean we could've helped each other." 

"I don't need your help, HERO," Sanjou-san spat at him. "I should be able to save myself. Even though Nakadai-sensei made it blisteringly clear that I can't. I'm not even important enough for him to kill me." 

"Hey, hey," Ryouga said, leaning against the door. He desperately wanted to fold his arms, wanted that little piece of comfort, but knew it'd make him seem closed off. He carefully didn't respond to Sanjou-san's anger in kind, having some idea of what he'd been through. He tried to ignore the bitterness, let the hurt pass him by. "I don't mean that. I just mean that you help me sometimes, and I help you sometimes. Strength in numbers. You've saved me more often than I've saved you."

"Oh," Sanjou-san said, suddenly deflated. He shoved himself back on the bed, leaned against the wall, and turned a little to look out the window. "Sorry."

"I wish none of us needed saving," Ryouga said quietly, and he saw the tension in the thin shoulders ease just a little. A thought came over him. He moved over to the bed and sat down behind Sanjou-san, and gently began to rub his shoulders. 

Sanjou-san allowed it for a few moments, then said wryly, "You're really, really bad at that."

It startled a laugh out of Ryouga. "I don't have your skills, no." He stopped. 

Sanjou-san's voice was soft. "You don't have to stop."

Touched, Ryouga resumed his attempt at a massage, paying more attention to the way Sanjou-san moved his shoulders and made small sounds in the back of his throat, to tell him what he was doing right and what he was doing wrong. A few minutes passed, and they both fell into a dreamy state. 

Sanjou-san spoke. 

"Hmm?" Ryouga said.

"I was terrified," Sanjou-san repeated quietly. "I failed." 

Ryouga wrapped an arm around Sanjou-san and moved forward, mindful of his injuries, to let Sanjou-san lean back on his chest. To his surprise it was allowed without protest. "I would've been terrified, too," he offered. "And you didn't fail. Everyone's all right. You protected Mai-chan." 

"They got hurt," Sanjou-san said. "Because of me."

"No, they got hurt because of Nakadai-sensei." Ryouga could feel Sanjou-san's heart beating too quickly under his forearm. "It would've been much worse if you hadn't been here." 

"Okay," Sanjou-san said after a long pause. "Thanks, Ryouga. I think I need to sleep now."

"Sure." Ryouga moved to get up, to give him privacy.

"No -- you don't need to go." 

Ryouga raised an eyebrow, but moved gently along with Sanjou-san to settle themselves into the bed properly, Sanjou-san's head on his shoulder. "I snore," he warned. 

Sanjou-san laughed. "I don't care." 

He drifted off easily enough, making soft little sighs into Ryouga's shoulder, and Ryouga stayed awake for a while longer, marvelling that he was back, that he was okay, and that he was this resilient. Ryouga fought to stay in the moment, to just enjoy what he had now, without worrying about the future, but damn it was hard.

Mai-chan pushed the door open and came in tentatively. He put a finger to his lips then grinned at her, gesturing her over. She climbed up and put her head on his other shoulder, then also drifted off quickly. 

It was much harder to stay awake now, so when sleep attacked, he surrendered.


End file.
